Saturday, September 28, 2013

Blue Cheese and Other Composed Butters

I never doubted that the "something blue" of the old, new, borrowed, blue theme that I've been featuring this week would be a blue cheese butter. At the time I posted the recipe for my French dip sandwich, I had to send you off the reservation for the blue cheese butter I recommend you use to enhance its flavor. Pride demanded I remedy that situation as soon as I could. So, today I'm featuring a trio of compound butters that are wonderful additions to your kitchen quiver. A compound butter is nothing more than butter to which other ingredients have been added. They add great flavor to meals and the only requirement for making a successful spread is that all the ingredients be at room temperature. The butter should be beaten or stirred to perfect smoothness before other ingredients are added. The butter, which some cooks like to shape into a log, is then placed back into the refrigerator to chill until it is firm. The butters will keep for a week or two in the refrigerator and can be kept for several months in the freezer. They can be used as a spread for bread or tossed with vegetables or pasta to boost their flavor. Some cooks also serve them with meat or fish. They are really simple to make and they can be as simple or complex as your imagination allows. Here are three of my favorites.

Cream butter until perfectly smooth. Add lemon juice and parsley and mix until ingredients are well blended. Place a piece of plastic wrap on counter. Spoon butter onto plastic wrap and roll into a tight cylinder. Tie off or twist ends. Chill until firm. Yield: 16 tablespoons.

Mixed Herb Butter

Courtesy of Photobucket: Creative Commons License

Ingredients:

1/4 pound room temperature butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage

3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions:

Cream butter until perfectly smooth. Add oil and herbs to bowl of a food processor and pulse until oil is colored by herbs. Add to butter and, using whisk attachment, beat until butter is light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Spoon onto plastic wrap and roll into a tight log. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Yield: 8 tablespoons.